2017–18 UEFA Champions League

79 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations participated (the exception being Liechtenstein, which did not organise a domestic league). The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association: • Associations 1–3 each had four teams qualify. • Associations 4–6 each had three teams qualify. • Associations 7–15 each had two teams qualify. • Associations 16–55 (except Liechtenstein) each had one team qualify. • The winners of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League and 2016–17 UEFA Europa League were each given an additional entry if they did not qualify for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League through their domestic league. Because a maximum of five teams from one association could enter the Champions League, if both the Champions League title holders and the Europa League title holders were from the same top three ranked association and finished outside the top four of their domestic league, the fourth-placed team of their association was moved to the Europa League. For this season: • The winners of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid, qualified through their domestic league, meaning the additional entry for the Champions League title holders was not necessary. • The winners of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, Manchester United, did not qualify through their domestic league, meaning the additional entry for the Europa League title holders was necessary. Kosovo, who became a UEFA member on 3 May 2016, made their debut in the UEFA Champions League. Apart from the allocation based on the country coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below: • – Additional berth for UEFA Europa League title holders Distribution In the default access list, the Champions League title holders entered the group stage. However, since Real Madrid already qualified for the group stage (as the champions of the 2016–17 La Liga), the Champions League title holders berth in the group stage was given to the Europa League title holders, Manchester United. and the following changes to the default allocation system are made: • The third-placed teams of associations 4 (Italy) and 5 (Portugal) are promoted from the third qualifying round to the play-off round. Teams League positions of the previous season qualified via league position shown in parentheses. Manchester United qualified as Europa League title holders. (TH: Champions League title holders; EL: Europa League title holders). ==Round and draw dates==

The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws were held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, unless stated otherwise). ==Qualifying rounds==

In the qualifying rounds and the play-off round, teams were divided into seeded and unseeded teams based on their 2017 UEFA club coefficients, and then drawn into two-legged home-and-away ties. Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other. First qualifying round Second qualifying round Third qualifying round ==Play-off round==

{{Location map+ |Europe |width=600 |float=right |caption=Location of teams of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage. Brown: Group A; Red: Group B; Orange: Group C; Yellow: Group D; Green: Group E; Blue: Group F; Purple: Group G; Pink: Group H. The draw for the group stage was held on 24 August 2017, 18:00 CEST, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other. For the draw, the teams were seeded into four pots based on the following principles (introduced starting 2015–16 season): • Pot 1 contained the title holders and the champions of the top seven associations based on their 2016 UEFA country coefficients. For the first time since the 1997–98 edition, England's Arsenal did not qualify for the group stage. Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H ==Knockout phase==

In the knockout phase, teams played against each other over two legs on a home-and-away basis, except for the one-match final. The mechanism of the draws for each round was as follows: • In the draw for the round of 16, the eight group winners were seeded, and the eight group runners-up were unseeded. The seeded teams were drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group or the same association could not be drawn against each other. • In the draws for the quarter-finals onwards, there were no seedings, and teams from the same group or the same association could be drawn against each other. Bracket Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final ==Statistics==

Statistics exclude qualifying rounds and play-off round. Top goalscorers 's Cristiano Ronaldo finished the tournament as the top goalscorer, having scored 15 goals. Squad of the season The UEFA technical study group selected the following 18 players as the squad of the tournament. Players of the season Votes were cast for players of the season by coaches of the 32 teams in the group stage, together with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, representing each of UEFA's member associations. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players from their own teams. Jury members selected their top three players, with the first receiving five points, the second three and the third one. The shortlist of the top three players were announced on 9 August 2018. The award winners were announced and presented during the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on 30 August 2018. Goalkeeper of the season Defender of the season Midfielder of the season Forward of the season ==See also==